


Wandering Child

by Themadnesshasovertaken



Category: Original Work
Genre: Adventure, Adventurer - Freeform, Figuring Out Who You Are, Gen, Lost Child, My second work, Nonbinary Character, Original Character(s), Original Fiction, Short Story, They/Them, basically the same story as my first one but longer and with more details, but not really, i wrote this as an assignment, pilgrim - Freeform, story about a child, they/them pronouns, vagabong, wanderer - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-12
Updated: 2020-01-12
Packaged: 2021-02-27 05:28:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,672
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22231804
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Themadnesshasovertaken/pseuds/Themadnesshasovertaken
Summary: A short story about a child trying to figure themselves out.





	Wandering Child

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this as an assignment and I must warn you- I'm not a native English speaker so please comment if you see any mistakes, so i can fix them. Have fun reading XD

There was a child. A young child.A lost child. Nobody knew where they came from. The villagers found them in a basket near the river with nothing but some cloth, not even a letter. Surely, their parents had left them. The people of the village decided to find a new family for the child but none of the families could keep them for long. So, being passed around from family to family, they never had a home. But the child didn't mind to wander around. With each family seeing new places- a new town. The people were kind to them. They welcomed them. Took care of the child. Yet they could never keep them. Soon the child left a family once more and decided to stay on their own. Not much did they have, no- not much at all. But they didn't mind. As long as they were healthy they would survive. So what did they do, you may ask? They wandered around. Throughout the years, they visited many places, walked through many streets, saw many faces. With each new place- a new adventure. Always different, always something new. Yet some things never changed. They were still alone. No family, no home. The child didn't mind, no- not at all. Everyone else seemed bothered by it. "Who are you? Are you lost?" No, they were not lost. But who were they indeed? In search for an answer they continued their journey. One day, they passed a small house in the woods. It was raining heavily. So the child decided to take shelter. Though the old lady, whom this house belonged to, was not amused by someone visiting her so late in the evening, she still let the child come inside as she saw how soaked and miserable they looked. "Who are you? Where did you come from?" The same questions again. The child did not answer. They didn't know what to answer. "Well, it doesn't matter- come inside quickly. I'll get you a towel to dry yourself with and I'll make you some tea. It will warm you up a bit." Just like in all other place they had visited, they didn't want to stay for long. Don't get them wrong, they had liked it quite a bit. They stayed for an entire month until their longing for adventure, their longing to move on was too much to bear. In all this time, the old lady didn't pressure them to answer all of her questions, instead she told the child her stories. As she told them about her life, she taught them about herbs and flowers- which were good, which were bad? She washed and dried their clothes, made them food, gave them a place to stay. She didn't want the child to leave. But she understood. She understood why they wanted to leave. So she let the child go. "Take care, you small vagabond", she said to them as they thanked her for everything she had given them and went away. A vagabond- is that what they were? Continuing their journey, another season passed. Wandering through an unknown city in the cold, they knew they would never survive. So they were quite happy when a man came by and offered them a place to stay the night. "Who are you? Where are your parents, dear?" They didn't want to answer. Even if they had wanted to, they wouldn't have gotten the chance to. This man was a tailor, as it soon turned out, and as he saw the condition of their worn out clothes- he was shocked. No, shocked was not the right word. He was horrified. Without waiting for an answer, he immediately started doing the one thing he knew how to do best. He fixed their clothes, their shoes and even their bag and while he was at it, he sewed them a new scarf, made them a hat and a coat. He scolded them when they asked how they could pay them back. "Do not thank me, this is the least I can do. How could I not help others, especially a young child like you?" The child stayed in this place for three weeks. Though they appreciated the tailor's kindness they still wanted to pay their debts. So they learned how to sew and worked at the tailors shop, making clothes for others to wear. After three weeks, the tailor said: "You have improved a lot. I'm proud of you. I'd ask you to stay as my apprentice but you want to leave soon, don't you?" This was true. They liked this place a lot but they still decided to move on. As they were leaving, the tailor spoke: "Goodbye little pilgrim. I wish you good luck!" A pilgrim. Was that the right word for them? The child kept thinking about the tailors words as they went further and further into the woods. They had traveled for a long time and they would have continued to do so if it wasn't for this one problem. So far nothing had stopped them on their way. No fence, no border. But this time it was different. In front of them was the ocean. It reached far over the horizon and the child new they could never cross it.But then they met the fisherman- a old man with a long gray beard and many tattoos, who was searching for a helping hand. "It will be work for a few days until we have reached the other side of the sea. I'd gladly take you with us." So the child took the chance- how could they not? It was a way across the ocean after all. The labor on bord was a small price to pay for an adventure on the open sea. The child worked hard and after five days and nights it was yet again time to say goodbye. "You have worked so hard, it's such a shame- there is a place for you in the crew but on land there are so many things waiting for an explorer like you." There was again a new word for the child. They were an explorer then, huh? After having thanked him for the trip they said goodbye and left. New adventures were waiting ahead of them. And they didn't have to wait long for a new adventure to come. This new adventure begann when they met the bakers daughter. No other word would fit her more. She was loud, had a bright personality and always tried to help others. Although you could debate how helpful she actually was, they couldn't deny that she really saved them on the day they met her. By this time, they had not been eating for days and it was almost as if she read their mind when she ran towards them, took them by the hand and dragged them towards the bakery. This is just how she was. Truly kind. The child repeatedly thanked the baker's family for their help and wanted to leave but the bakers daughter refused to let them go. The child stayed there for many months. "An adventurer! Maybe that is what you are?", yelled the baker's daughter. The child almost fell from their chair, startled by her loud voice. Lost in thought they hadn't noticed her come into the room. They were still trying to figure out who they were. How did she know what they were thinking about? That's just how she was. Reading others like an open book. For the same reason she had noticed their discomfort. She didn't want them to leave but she understood that they needed their freedom. "You are my friend and I wish you'd stay but I realise adventurers need adventure. Going on without a destination, always on their way." She gave them a hug and finally let them leave. In all this time they stayed with the bakers family they had told them every story, answered every question. None of these questions bothered them, they were used to being asked many things. None of them expect one. "Aren't you lonely?" Why would they be lonely? They were never alone. If not surrounded by people, they were surrounded by nature, animals or whatever lived in the dark forests they had been to. They were always surrounded by so many things. Most importantly, they had their memories. They were something that would never leave them. Each time they recalled their memories it made them feel warm and save. Not all of them were nice but they were all important. They were the lessons they learned in the past so they could be stronger in the future. Thinking about the past made the child realise something. "Does it really matter who I am?", they asked themselves. There are so many things a person can be. They were a student, learning from people and from the world. They were a visitor- coming unannounced. A musician- singing with the birds. Even a friend, for those who needed one. A companion, for as long as ones paths crossed. There are so many things a person can be. So many feelings to feel, just as places to see. There is only one thing they were not. They were not lonely. After many years one boy asked them again, "Aren't you lonely? Never seeing the same person twice, no home to return to..." But the child didn't mind. "I don't need a place to return to, for this world is my home. Freedom is my companion and strangers are my friends. I may not know where I came from or where I'm going but as long as I'm free, there's no fence, no border that can stop me. For this reason, I don't need no home or family." "As long as flowers bloom and mushrooms grow, I'll feel the breeze, the sun and snow. I will go- far away. No, nothing can stop me, at least no today. I'm not lost- I'm just figuring out my way."

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed my story ^-^


End file.
